21-03-2003 18:37									#1
	Optimal space ship configuration revisited... Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

It's been ages since I built the fastest space ship. Soon, however, in a PBEM game near you I might give it a try again. Hence, the need to know the fastest configuration.

IIRC it is 33-8-8-1-1-1, which should take 5.7 years with fusion. After looking in the GL, however, I got confused. An old poster claimed 34-8-8-1-1-1, which sounds unfamiliar to me.

So, what's the verdict?

Carolus

	21-03-2003 19:07									#2
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YDRC, Carolus. Well, at least according to my notes.

33-8-8-1-1-1

	21-03-2003 20:58									#3
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Optimal if you're launching where turns take 1 year each (or 2).

If you're trying for an early landing record, and turns take 20 years, you're better off building a slower spaceship sooner. Launching a slow ship in 980 AD, for example, will usually get you an earlier landing than a fast one launched in 1000 (since the game jumps to 1 yr/turn once a ship is launched).

	21-03-2003 21:05									#4
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I believe 16-1-1-1-1-1 is the fastest if launching before 1000 AD, but don't quote me.

	21-03-2003 21:16									#5
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Thanks, -Jrabbit and STYOM!

I'd forgotten about that, good point! It's a PBEM game and I do want to land as early as possible. Hm, I need to think about that...

Carolus

	21-03-2003 21:37									#6
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STYOM ... I'm no expert on spaceships ... but I think it's
15-1-1-1-1-1. At Deity it is a handy option before the 10 year turns kick in at 1500AD.

Carolus... I wonder which PBEM game? Regards to Sitting Punk!

---------------------

SG(2)

	21-03-2003 21:42									#7
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quote: Originally posted by Six Thousand Year Old Man I believe 16-1-1-1-1-1 is the fastest if launching before 1000 AD, but don't quote me.

Have no knowledge of 16 structural ship, but these two I know work.

15-1-1-111.....36yrs
15-2-2-111.....21yrs

Happy Landing!!

Monk

	22-03-2003 05:35									#8
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quote: Originally posted by Scouse Gits Carolus... I wonder which PBEM game? Regards to Sitting Punk! --------------------- SG(2)

Carolus

	22-03-2003 07:08									#9
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Even 15-3-3-1-1-1 is possible for early landings. This one arrives after 16 years.

	22-03-2003 08:06									#10
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quote: Originally posted by solo Even 15-3-3-1-1-1 is possible for early landings. This one arrives after 16 years.

Actually, it's 15 yrs...IIRC, 15.7 yrs, but it is not rounded up. Also, of course, the clock starts on the turn after you hit the Launch button.

Monk

	22-03-2003 18:57									#11
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You can trim an odd year off by launching a structural or two short - when it says 23% chance of success it means 100% chance of success, but only 23% of your colonists will survive -- the slightly lighter ships travel that bit faster ...

SG[1]

	22-03-2003 22:22									#12
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Sorry, Carolus,
Viking ships fly faster

	22-03-2003 23:54									#13
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Heh, heh, heh!

Hm, this requires more preparing than I first remembered... What to do, which configuration to go for? Oh well, the Egyptians will most likely render the question academic...

Carolus

	23-03-2003 00:13									#14
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size doesn't matter..well not in this case anyways

Best bet for a MP SS is to build and launch in 1 turn.

	23-03-2003 11:22									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Scouse Gits You can trim an odd year off by launching a structural or two short - when it says 23% chance of success it means 100% chance of success, but only 23% of your colonists will survive -- the slightly lighter ships travel that bit faster ... SG[1]

Interesting - does that mean that in the early landing games we should be going for a slimmer bird? Is there a "Solo" rule about how many colonists must survive?

RJM at Sleepers

	23-03-2003 12:44									#16
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RJM - In Comparison Game #1 my ship only had a 79% chance of success.

--------------------

SG(2)

	23-03-2003 21:08									#17
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Space ships will always arrive if you can launch (percentages only apply to the number of colonist that will survive the trip).

Being able to launch with less than 15 structurals is news to me, and I will run some tests on this today.

No minimum is enforced in early landing games. Use any ploy you want to get your ship to AC faster.

	23-03-2003 22:05									#18
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I tried some tests, but can not get the launch button for any combinations I tried using fewer than 15 structurals. If someone can do this, I'd like to see an example.

I tested the following, using one of each module for each test:

12-1-1
13-1-1
14-1-1

12-2-2
13-2-2
14-2-2

While looking around the web, I found the following table, listing flight times for various configurations. The first number is the number of components, the second is the number of structurals, and the third number is flight time. One of each module and Fusion power was included for these table results:

2-15-36.1
4-15-21.0
6-15-15.7
8-17-13.2
10-21-10.0
12-25-8.3
14-29-6.7
16-33-5.7

Adding more of anything to these configurations will just slow down a ship or make it so it can't launch. For earliest dates, it's most important to build in as few turns as is possible to take advantage of the switch to 1 year increments.

Last edited by solo on 23-03-2003 at 23:01

	24-03-2003 02:05									#19
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solo

Your table corresponds exactly to the one included in Winkler's 'Scrolls of ancient wisdom' (and my own experience).
May I add that the given flight durations correspond to a Space Ship with 3 modules (1 of each kind).
People interested in hign scores may build ships with up to 4 modules of each kind (hello shade )

	24-03-2003 03:37									#20
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An example of the type of ship referred to by La Fayette...

39-8-8-444 11.7 yrs,

which if I remember rightly gives 400 points to the final score.

Not a likely choice for Early Landing, however.

Monk

	02-04-2003 08:31									#21
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Presumably there is a formula that determines how many structurals are needed in order to "connect" each component and module. At one point, I thought that it was two structurals per component plus one structural per module, based on the sort of standard 15-6-3 ship, but that's not right.

Samson, you busy?

	08-12-2003 18:57									#22
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Hm... If I do survive to launch a space ship I just want the thing to spend as little time as possible in flight... 'Cause I'm expecting (uninvited) visitors should I launch...

Guess it has to be the optimal configuration then...

Carolus